Citizens' parties promise accountability, transparency

Loksatta party and Mumbai 227, the two outfits that will field citizen (consensus) candidates for the forthcoming civic polls, say that accountability and transparency will be their mandate.

Having launched these platforms out of sheer frustration with the current political scenario, they have put in place a rigid screening procedure to choose candidates. Representatives of both outfits spoke at HT's Agenda for Mumbai conclave. "We are functioning in an atmosphere of absolute chaos, what we need is a change in the institutions,"said Ram Ramdas, from the Loksatta party. He added that if elected they would look at the setting up of empowered ward level committees that will assist corporators in their functioning, similar to what was proposed in the Nagar Raj bill. These parties have given 10 other similar 'guarantees' in their manifesto. The Loksatta party has so far finalised 15 candidates. Mumbai 227, which is planning to field consensus candidates from all 227 wards, feels that the current system invariably leads to a blame game.

"What we intend is to give the voters an alternative. Voters don't want a representative who is used like a remote control by the party high command. We need someone who is more responsive to our demands," said Santosh Awatramani from Mumbai 227. Both, however, agreed that the voters need to come out and exercise their right to vote and make a choice.

"To change the scene one will have to come out and make an informed choice," Awatramani said.